Rail-bond.



G. A. MERKT.

HAIL BOND.

APPLICATION FILED APII. a. I9I2.

VIII

P. MER-KT.

RAIL BOND.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 191,2;

Patented Sept. 2L 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WETNESES narran GUSTAV A. MERKT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGE'UB T0 THE AMEBIGAN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY OF NEVI JERSEY, GF HOBKEN, NEW' JERSEY, A @GREG--v IRATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAIL-BOND.

To all -irm/ii -z'r may conce/rn Be it known that I, GUsTAv A. Memor, a. citizen ot' the United States, residing at Vilorcester, in the county of T.Voreester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Rail-Bond, of which the following is a specification. A

My invention relates to the construction of rail bonds used in connecting the adjoining ends of the track rails of railways, and the invention more particularly relates to the construction or" the type of rail bonds used on electric railways in which the terminals of the rail bonds vare welded directly to the surfaces of the rails to which the bonds are applied for use.

Heretofore it has been the practice to bond the adjoining rail ends of the railwayA tracks by means of copper conductors of various conni'iercial forms. The terminals of such bonds are expanded into or rivetedA in openings or holes in the track rails, and,

with sonic ornis of such rail bonds, the terv iniiials are solderodor welded to the rails. lVitli such bonds lthe terminals are applied to the rail heads in some cases, to the flanges of the rails in other cases, in addition to the more general practice ot applying the terminals to the web of the rails'. The conductors, to the ends of which the bond terminals are att-ached, have suiiicient flexibilityy to permit the unavoidable movement occasioned by the expansion and contraction lengthwise of the rails.

One object of my invention is to providea rail bond of improved construction having novel means whereby a larger contact surface is afforded on the bond terminals, the

contact intensity is increased and by .which the bond terminals are more securely vanchored or united to the rails and liability of loosening of the bond terminals and of mechanical injury to the contacts is lessened and prevented. y Another object of my inyention is to provide a rail bond having' improved means whereby perfect union is obtained. between thecontacting tacos ot' the rails and the rail bond terminals. i

The invention consists in providing a vcoating or contact on the-terminals of the rail bends, which is formed o a material havingsubstantiallv lie saine composition, fusingpcint and d conductivity as that ot the rails w ierail bonds are si, raie.

welded, as in the case of rails composed of steel, to provide the rail bond with terminals having steel surfaces forming contacts engaging with the rails in welding the terminals to the rails.

My invention is applicable to any of the known types of rail bonds in which the terminals are weld-ed to the track rails or secured thereto in an analogous manner. Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is 'a plan showing. the adjoining en ds of the track rails having one form of rail bond constructed and arranged and secured in place thereon in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on. the line HHH 'of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan showing a inodilied rail bond construction, having the terininals thereof constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig'. 4 is a. longitudinal side elevation of the construction shown in F 3. Fig. 5 is a. detail sectional side elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the manner in which the terminals are secured to the conductors and the metal coating is applied tothe terminals of the rail bond of Figs. 3 and Li. F ig. 6 is a sectional end elevation on the line VI--Vl of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional end view' of atrack rail, showing a splice-bar connected thereto with the rail bond terminals secured to the splice bar in accordance with this invention. 8 is a sectional plan, on the line VBL-VMI of Fig. Fig. 9 is a plan showing the' adjoining ends of two track rails, with a rail bond applied to the upper faces of the rail flanges.l Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing a rail bond constructed in. `accordance `with my invention as applied for use to the ribbon 5 is united with a copper or aluminum ribbon 6 preparatory to attaching the rail bond to the rails'. The ends of the conductor formed by the ribbons 5 and 6 are curved or bent so as to bring the steel ribbon thereof with the steelfaces oi the rail bond in engaeernent with web et the rails LA b les ' applied.

I "bondf .conductor 2. The-bonds which are formed in a separate process prior to being applied-for use in the track, are then united to theF1 gai'l'webs by Welding. 1nv this Way, the-surfaicis of the rail bond contactingv with the 'rails are ofb substantially the samecomposition as- .the-

rails and having substantially the same electrical conductivity, which permits of the vparts being easily heated 'tothe same tern;

perature in welding the parts to attach th rail bond in place on therailsa In the construction shown in Figs. 3,14, 5

and 6, a Well" known form ofr'aily bond is.'A shown in'vvhich strands?v formed. of copper...` Wire arev connected at their endete termb' nals 8 Which have asteel plate '9 united .thereto by IWelding or fusing, this-plate ianges 11 of therails,` one end of each splice bar 10 being bolted in y*contact with .the `Web of one `rail with the edges of the ,other end of the splice bar in engagement Withthetop surface of the rail flange and the under ina" The frail, inA 'this construction' is formed of a'copperl Wire or rod 12, oneen'd being connected .to each of the splice-bars 10, as will be seen by reference ftoFigs. 7 andcl-ined surface of thel rail heads.

8. In this construction the splice bars 10 -fomnftheterminals of the rail bond `and the ends 10a of these splice bars are Welded to i the Web of the rail, the bolts 12 being employed tq Y bars 10 t secure the' other end of thev splice o the rail Hanges. In this construction itv Will be seen that the rails can expand lengthwise and at the same time a perfect connection 'is'formed and maintained by the rail bond between thel rails as theyends 10a of the splice bars are Welded to the rails.

In the construction shown in Fig. 9 a railbond is shown having a conductor comprising a ribbon 13 formed of aluminum or cop`l per which is Welded or otherwise united "with a steel ribbon 14 preparatory to applying the rail bond for use in electrically con- 'necting'the ends of the rails 15. .1n this construction the ends of' the ribbon Which forni lthe bond terminals are applied to' the upper `,surface of the rail flange with the steel surface of the bond in contact with the rail. In the "construction shown in Fig. 10 a rail bondhaving a conductor formed of a copper aluminum ribbon 16 with a steel ribbon 17 is employed, the endso the conductor forming, the terminals being secured to thel under surface .of the flanges of the rails 18g-and the steel surface of the ends of the bond which Vforms the terminals being 'same composition and electrical conductivity as the metal forming .the railsyvhichare to ,be united bythe rail bonds.

1 'believe'inyself the-first to discover and disclose the advantages of providing the terminals of rail bonds lwith a coating or covering'of .metaljvy'hich is united to the terminals andi is. oflvrthe lsaine composition or :ggelectrical conductivity' as the rails to which the rail bonds are applied, and i intend to vclaini such construction broadly.

1claim1- A rail bond comprising a ofonductoriand terminals on the ends ofthe conducto1",';1said terminals being coatedwith Airnetal of the.

same chemical composition'Lhaving the same fusing' point and .hav-ing the'l same velectrical conductivityas the metal in thel rails to which the bonds are'applied, the Vmetal coatccs'frav Manier Witnesses:

PALMER Cocaine, C. W. llonivrns.v

Gop'ies of this patent. may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

A Washington, E. 6.2? 

